The Republic of China Yearbook 2009

CHAPTER 19 Tourism

Recent Developments

Tourists from Mainland China

Tourism got a boost with the signing of agreements with mainland China in 2008. As a result of these arrangements, direct weekly flights were launched and both sides’ restrictions on the movement of mainland tourists were eased. It is expected that increasing numbers of mainland Chinese tourists will travel to Taiwan, thus furthering mutual understanding across the Taiwan Strait. For the first six months of 2009, 472,425 people arrived from the mainland, more than double the amount that arrived prior to the agreements’ becoming effective in July 2008.

Gambling on Outlying Islands

In January 2009, the Legislative Yuan passed a bill that legalizes gambling on the ROC’s outlying islands. If local residents pass related referendums and if casinos are built, it is expected that the gaming industry will bring in hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in revenues per year. This should benefit, directly or indirectly, many of the 100,000-plus people who live there. Also written into the act on gambling are articles permitting the establishment of duty-free shops to increase these islands’ attractiveness to tourists.

Transport

Many major airlines fly to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near the capital of Taipei. In addition, Kaohsiung International Airport connects southern Taiwan with various locations in Asia.

In Taipei and Kaohsiung, buses and modern subways make getting about in these cities easy, while comprehensive bus and train networks—along with high-speed rail—ensure that accessing the rest of Taiwan is convenient. Car rental services are widely available, and taxis are plentiful in the cities.

Government Services for Travelers

Information centers operated by the Tourism Bureau at airports and in major cities help foreign visitors design tours best suited to their interests, locate lodging or find their way. The bureau also publishes a host of informational materials, including the monthly magazine Travel in Taiwan. Meanwhile, every city and county provides information in English so as to make sightseeing in its area as fun and easy as possible.

Tourists and the expat community can also resolve various questions regarding visas, travel and residency through the service Information for Foreigners, which offers assistance in English via a toll-free telephone number (0800-024-111).

Nature

National Parks

Dongsha

Dongsha Marine National Park was established in January 2007 to protect the coral reef ecosystem of the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands (see Chapter 1, “Geography”) in the South China Sea. Tourists will not be permitted to visit the area, however, until plans have been drawn up to preserve the fragile ecology of these islands.

Kenting

Set up in 1984, Kenting National Park was the first national park in the ROC. It wraps around Taiwan’s tropical southernmost tip, encompassing a dramatic coastline formed by millions of years of geological activity. The park features fossilized coral cliffs, living coral reefs and diverse marine life, as well as unique “sand rivers” and “sand waterfalls” formed during the rainy summer months by the washing away of reddish soil and sand down gentle slopes. Migratory birds also gather here in the winter months.

Kinmen

Kinmen National Park occupies roughly one quarter of the Kinmen Islands, which are located just 2.3 kilometers from the coast of the Chinese mainland. Ancient temples, historical markers and towers dot the islands, with the oldest structure being a temple dating back to the 13th century. As Kinmen was subjected to fierce attacks by mainland China during the 1940s and 1950s, the park serves as a war memorial in addition to its role as a nature reserve. Outside the park, Kinmen boasts well-preserved architecture in the traditional Fujianese style and hybrid Western-and-Chinese designs. Its renowned fiery sorghum liquor gaoliang is a popular souvenir.

Shei-pa

Mountainous Shei-pa National Park is the main watershed for northern and central Taiwan. It encompasses the nation’s largest wildlife refuge, which sits along the banks of the Qijiawan River and serves to protect the endangered Formosan landlocked salmon.

Taijiang

Taijiang National Park, whose establishment was approved by the Ministry of the Interior on June 29, 2009, is a 40,000-hectare marvel unique among Taiwan’s national parks as it encompasses wetlands, industrial sites such as milkfish farms and salt mines, as well as cultural relics such as artillery emplacements. While most of its area is water, the park contains conservation areas for mangroves and black-faced spoonbills.

Taroko

Taroko National Park is located just east of Shei-pa National Park. Its highlight is Taroko Gorge—a spectacular 19-kilometer-long, marble-walled canyon that was lifted up from the earth by tectonic forces and carved out by the Liwu River. Differences in altitude mean that the surrounding region supports a rich diversity of animal and plant life. Over 40 species of mammals, 100 kinds of birds and 300 species of insects can be found at the 92,000-hectare park. Along the dramatic two-kilometer-long Tunnel of Nine Turns, a section free of car traffic, the two sides of the gorge almost meet overhead.

Yangmingshan

Yangmingshan National Park, to the north of Taipei, is located nearer to a metropolitan center than any other national park in the world. It is noted for its hot springs, which are heated by long-dormant volcanoes. The park boasts lush, grassy meadows and mountain peaks as well as waterfalls.

Yushan

Located at the heart of the Central Mountain Range, Yushan National Park contains 30 of the 100 highest mountain peaks in Taiwan, including Yushan (Jade Mountain), East Asia’s highest peak at 3,952 meters. The wide spectrum of climate zones means that a large variety of animal and plant life can be found on its slopes. Subtropical, temperate and alpine species all thrive on Yushan.

National Scenic Areas

Alishan

The Alishan (Mount Ali) National Scenic Area is a beautifully preserved mountainous area in central Taiwan that boasts 41,520 hectares of forests. The most picturesque way to reach the summit of Alishan is by the Alishan Railway, one of the world’s oldest narrow-gauge alpine railways in operation. Many visitors stay overnight amid the mountainous scenery to view the majestic sunrise, said to be the most awe-inspiring in the country. Alishan is also famous for its high-mountain Oolong tea. The three villages of Ruili, Ruifeng and Taihe are linked by trails and offer a quiet escape from the more touristy areas of the region.

Dapeng Bay

Dapeng Bay was an important World War II airbase from which Japan launched air raids to the south. Today, the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area, in Pingtung County, is an ideal location for bird watching. Egrets, snipes and rails live among the mangroves. Further, Dapeng Bay itself is well suited to water sports.

East Coast

Along the east coast, dolphins play and whales frolic. Here, in the East Coast National Scenic Area in Taitung County, visitors can enjoy snorkeling in the warm waters of the Pacific, or, inland, kayaking and rafting along the rapids of the Xiuguluan River. The Jialulan Handicraft Market has been open every May to August since 2006, and is a place where visitors can choose from a wide selection of works made by local artists. Tourists can also consider attending the East Coast Music Festival in August.

East Rift Valley

On the eastern side of the island, the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area, also in Taitung County, is home to a large array of wildlife. Birds commonly seen here include the maroon oriole, the Formosan magpie and the white-bellied tree babbler. Mammals include the Formosan macaque, the Formosan gem-faced civet and the Formosan serow. Freshwater fish include the Taiwan ku and the Taiwan Venus. Spanning both subtropical and tropical climatic zones up to 2,000 meters above sea level, the park also boasts a broad variety of plant life, especially trees such as Chinese redwood, oak and banyan.

Maolin

Rafting down rapids, observing the mass migration of many species of butterfly and learning about the local indigenous people’s way of life are just three of the exciting experiences that can be had in Kaohsiung County’s Maolin National Scenic Area. It is home to seven out of the 20 main butterfly gathering spots in Taiwan. Reflecting the dominant coloration of many butterfly species here, it has been dubbed “Purple Butterfly Valley.”

Matsu

Most of the area of the sparsely populated Matsu Islands is part of the Matsu National Scenic Area. The flora on these craggy islands is diverse, with glorious spider lilies, chrysanthemums, dianthuses and hawksbeards blooming in the fall. Old dwellings in Qinbi, largely uninhabited, are another draw. Once a bustling fishing village, residents of this town on the island of Beigan began to depart when fish stocks fell, leaving behind their beautifully preserved houses, each of which has a marvelous sea view.

North Coast and Guanyinshan

At the northern tip of Taiwan lies the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area. Here, there are many ancient temples as well as Jinshan Township, site of one of the few remaining streets in northern Taiwan whose buildings date to the Ching dynasty. Sticks of fried pork, fried oysters, taro cookies and roasted sweet potatoes are among the local traditional snacks sold along the town’s “old street.”

Northeast and Yilan Coast

Located within the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area are a number of charming fishing villages, and the area is particularly renowned for its fantastic wave-sculpted rock formations and bird watching. Some 150 species of bird reside in or migrate through this area. Spring and fall, when migratory birds are present in the greatest numbers, are the best times to visit the park. Sailing and canoeing are also popular at the wide mouths of rivers where the waters are calm, while surfers take on the waves at Daxi and Toucheng.

Penghu

Situated on the Penghu Islands off Taiwan’s southwest coast, the Penghu National Scenic Area is home to many ancient ruins. One of the most interesting of these remains is the Four-eyed Well believed to have been dug during the 16th century. More recent structures dating to the 19th century are artillery batteries and fortifications built following the Sino-French War (1884-1885) to strengthen the islands’ defenses. For decades, lighthouses strategically located around the archipelago have helped ships navigate their way through the Taiwan Strait.

Siraya

Encompassing leisure farms, waterfalls and reservoirs, the Siraya National Scenic Area in Tainan County is one of the best preserved locations in Taiwan. It also boasts the Wushan Formosan Macaque Reserve, where visitors can view macaques at play, as well as Caoshan Moon World, an eerie landscape of eroded mudstone that resembles the surface of the moon.

Southwest Coast

For hundreds of years, people along Taiwan’s southwest coast made their living by evaporating seawater to extract salt. Today, the marshy Southwest Coast National Scenic Area, which stretches across parts of Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan counties as well as Tainan City, is a refuge for wild birds and a place of great historical interest that honors the once vibrant salt industry.

Sun Moon Lake

Serene and majestic, Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area is one of Taiwan’s most beloved tourist attractions. The largest natural body of fresh water in Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake is tucked away amid the mountains of Nantou County. Trails starting at the lake lead off in every direction through adjacent forests and mountains.

Tri-Mountain Scenic Area

The Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area includes three widely separated regions: in northwest Taiwan, Lion’s Head Mountain Scenic Area straddles the border between Hsinchu and Miaoli counties; in north-central Taichung County is Lishan (Pear Mountain) Scenic Area; and in the west-central region, Baguashan Scenic Area covers parts of Changhua and Taichung counties. Each has its own charms.

Lion’s Head Mountain, for example, is famous for the string of Buddhist and Taoist temples along its front and back sides. Many temples here offer inexpensive lodging and vegetarian meals, and are a good place for a serene retreat. This scenic area is amid where Taiwan’s largest concentration of Hakka-speaking people lives, and it is interesting just to stroll the streets of small towns here.

Culture

Museums and Cultural Centers

The ROC is home to many fine museums. The world-class National Palace Museum (NPM) in Taipei has the largest collection of Chinese art treasures anywhere in the world. Its collection is so extensive that items in the permanent exhibit are rotated quarterly over a 12-year period. Special exhibits are displayed for between two and four months, and in 2008 included showings of Ching- and Tang-dynasty calligraphy, Ming and Ching lacquerware, as well as world, city and topographical maps dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. At the NPM’s southern branch in Chiayi County, 2008 saw exhibits on Asian tea cultures, Buddhism, Asian textiles and blue-and-white porcelain.

People more interested in contemporary art can check out the Juming Museum in Taipei County. This museum is dedicated to the work of renowned local sculptor Ju Chuan-tai (also known as Ju Ming), who uses a variety of materials to create larger-than-life depictions of people, including farmers and practitioners of the martial art taijiquan.

In Taichung, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts houses an impressive collection of works by artists of the Ming and Ching dynasties as well as modern times. Exhibitions in 2008 featured a display of stop-motion animation, digital interpretations of space and time, woodblock prints and innovative films.

Museums with unusual themes can be found all over Taiwan. In Taipei, visitors can explore the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan. Hundreds of exhibits here showcase an array of subjects, from a mine to an apartment featuring the world’s smallest working television set. The Museum of Drinking Water is also located in the capital at the site of an old pumping station, while in Tainan in the south, the Taiwan Sugar Museum pays homage to sugar, once an important foreign exchange earner.

The expansive National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall plaza is one of the most stately sites in Taipei. Here, beautifully landscaped gardens complement traditional-style buildings that house the National Concert Hall and the National Theater, both of which host world-class performances. The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, in eastern Taipei, is the site of lectures, concerts and other cultural events.

Cuisine

Taiwan is a cultural melting pot, and visitors are sure to find something to their fancy among the seemingly endless array of culinary delights. Moreover, food is fresh as the nation’s yearlong growing season and varied climatic zones mean that a wide variety of fresh ingredients are available locally.

It is only natural, given Taiwan’s historical connections with the Chinese mainland, that numerous traditional Chinese cuisines and sophisticated derivations of them are the dominant theme in Taiwanese cooking. And with one of the world’s largest fishing fleets, it is a seafood lover’s paradise.

Taiwan also offers an abundance of vegetarian restaurants and buffet-style eateries because of the influence of Buddhism, which promotes vegetarianism. Big cities are home to many Asian cuisines, including Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, Japanese, Korean and Indian, as well as a good selection of North American and European cuisines.

For a change of pace from restaurant dining, sampling the myriad delicious snacks at stalls and small specialty eateries in Taiwan’s many night markets and elsewhere is highly recommended (see “Night Markets” section).

Festivals and Events

January-March

Domestic travel peaks during these months as they contain the major holidays of the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival. This is a time everyone looks forward to, as it is a season of renewal, family reunions and good cheer.

The Lunar New Year is the preeminent holiday in Taiwan. This celebration falls in either January or February of the Gregorian solar calendar. It is a time when many Taiwanese travel to their ancestral hometowns to visit relatives. As is the case with all traditional festivals in Taiwan, special snacks—such as niangao (a sweet or savory cake made of sticky rice)—are consumed at this time of year.

The new year is preceded by spring cleaning and the hanging of chunlian— strips of red paper bearing words of blessing—outside the front doors of homes. Families get together on New Year’s Eve and young people are given hongbao (money in red envelopes) by elder family members, relatives and family friends. At midnight, the new year is ushered in with firework displays. On this day, candles, incense and ritualistic paper money are burned, and people go to temples to pay their respects to and seek the blessings of various deities and ancestors before calling on friends and relatives. It is customary for married women, accompanied by their husbands and children, to visit their parents’ homes on the second day of the new year.

New Year culminates with the Lantern Festival, a weeklong affair in which colorful lanterns are lit and yuanxiao (sweet dumplings made from glutinous rice flour) are eaten. Among the festivities held at this time are the spectacular sky-lantern releasing ceremony in Taipei County’s Pingxi Township; the Hakka Bombing the Dragon Festival in Miaoli City; the Beehive Firework Festival in Tainan County’s Yanshui Township; and the Bombing of Han Dan (a deity of wealth) in Taitung County. The latter two were featured in “Lanterns of the World,” an episode of the Discovery Channel program “Fantastic Festivals of the World,” filmed in 2008 and first aired in early 2009.

The largest-scale religious pageant in Taiwan is the Dajia Ma Zu Pilgrimage, which honors Goddess of the Sea and Heavenly Mother Ma Zu, regarded by many as Taiwan’s most important guardian deity. Legend has it that Lin Mo-niang, the woman deified as Ma Zu, lived during the 10th century on a small island off the southeastern coast of mainland China and has saved many sailors’ lives thanks to her compassion and supernatural powers. Held in March or April, the eight-day procession, in which hundreds of thousands take part, starts at Da Jia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung County’s Dajia Township and circuits Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi counties before ending back at the temple.

April-June

Tomb-sweeping Day is observed on April 4, 5 or 6 every year. On this occasion, people travel to the sites of the graves of their ancestors and family members, clean the graves and make offerings of food and drink to the spirits of the dead.

The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival, usually stretching from April into May, celebrates the culture of Taiwan’s Hakka people, whose ancestors planted tung oil trees in the mountain foothills around their communities in northern and central Taiwan. In bygone times, oil pressed from these trees’ seeds was a commercially important export. These days, with their blizzard of falling flower petals, the forests draw urbanites and foreign visitors to walk along mountain paths, experience the charm of nearby Hakka villages and savor Hakka cookery.

Coming in about the end of May is the Dragon Boat Festival. It commemorates Qu Yuan, a minister in the government of the kingdom of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) who is said to have drowned himself in protest at the corruption and court intrigues that led to the kingdom’s demise. On this day, people eat zongzi (steamed glutinous rice and other fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves), and dragon boat regattas are conducted on rivers. The best known competitions take place in Taipei and Changhua County’s Lugang Township.

The Yingge International Ceramics Festival, which runs for one month every summer (late June to late July in 2008), provides intriguing insights into the pottery for which Yingge is acclaimed, while presenting a plethora of works from abroad. In 2008, the Taiwan Ceramics Biennale ran alongside the ceramics festival and attracted entries from more than 600 artists from over 50 nations. Among the entries, the 114 chosen as finalists were displayed in four galleries at the Yingge Ceramics Museum from June to December.

July-September

It is commonly believed that during Ghost Month—the seventh lunar month (usually beginning in August)—the gates of Hell are opened, allowing spirits to roam freely, feasting and reveling in the realm of the living. Religious observances come to a climax on the 15th day, when sacrificial feasts are laid out at temples and in front of homes to appease wandering souls. Those in northern Taiwan’s main port city of Keelung are particularly noteworthy.

Off Taiwan’s southeast coast lies enchanting Orchid Island. Each September, the island’s indigenous inhabitants, the Yami (or Tao) people, observe their ceremonial Flying Fish Festival to give thanks to and for the Exocoetidae that make their way northward on the Kuroshio Current every year, and on which the Yami have depended for their livelihoods since time immemorial. Given Orchid Island’s tropical climate, visitors can swim and snorkel here throughout the year.

Back on the main island of Taiwan, and indeed, throughout the nation, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated. The festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (usually in September) and has become known for barbecues in recent years. It remembers the legend of Chang E, who is said to have floated up to the moon after having accidentally swallowed an elixir of immortality. A national holiday, this festival is a time of family gatherings, when pomelos are eaten, as are moon cakes, whose roundness symbolizes unity. Traditionally a family event, Mid-Autumn Festival cookouts are very boisterous affairs, and Taiwan’s friendly people often invite passers-by to join in the fun.

 

October-December

The Taipei City Government holds the Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival every November to tout this popular dish that originated in mainland China. Attendees are in for a delectable treat, welcome to sample the various styles of noodles proffered by participating vendors, each with its own distinctive flavor.

In Taitung, the Festival of Austronesian Cultures held in December showcases the cultures of peoples from Taiwan and other regions across the Pacific. The 2008 festival featured performances by acclaimed local and foreign singers, traditional foods and crafts, carving demonstrations and classes on handicrafts.

Those who think a good coffee is hard to come by will certainly change their minds after attending the Yunlin Gukeng Coffee Festival, a two-week festival held in Yunlin in December. The distinctive aroma of the beverage brewed from the area’s beans has made the name Gukeng synonymous with premium coffee.

While Christians make up a small percentage of the nation’s population, Christmas is widely celebrated. Christmas decorations are commonly seen hanging in offices, buses and stores. Kicking off the New Year, firework displays at midnight on New Year’s Eve light up the sky, the most dazzling being the show on the Taipei 101 skyscraper.

Other Attractions

Trade Shows

Taiwan hosts various trade shows throughout the year. Visitors who, in addition to wanting to experience the nation and its people, are interested in a particular product at bargain prices— such as computers and electronics, bicycles or books—should check out the Taipei World Trade Center’s calendar at http://www.twtc.com.tw.

Night Markets

A visit to a night market stands out in the eyes of locals and visitors alike for being a unique, fun and inexpensive night out. Most major cities have at least one such attraction. Shilin Night Market in Taipei stands out for its sheer size, while Liuhe Tourist Night Market and Fengjia Night Market are the largest in Kaohsiung and Taichung, respectively.

Popular dishes at night markets include oyster omelets; oyster and thin-noodle stew; steamed rice flour with eggs, pork and mushrooms; sweet-potato-flour dumplings filled with meat; wraps filled with meat, vegetables, bean sprouts and peanut powder; and a blancmange-like soybean confection. Especially welcome in summer are the many refreshing drinks available. Among the best loved beverages are papaya milk, watermelon juice and iced milk tea with chewy tapioca balls, which comes in a variety of flavors depending on the combination of syrups used.

Hot Springs

Taiwan’s hot springs are among the world’s finest. A quick dip on a cold winter day in the springs in the Yangmingshan or Beitou districts of Taipei is relaxing and believed to promote health. Just off Taiwan’s east coast on Green Island, the Zhaori Saltwater Hot Springs—one of only three saltwater hot springs on the planet—also beckon. For a unique experience, try the muddy hot spring at Guanziling in southern Tainan County.

Hiking

Taiwan is a hiker’s paradise, with trails of varying difficulties close at hand wherever you go. On the eastern edge of Taipei, a short but steep climb up any of the Four Beasts Mountains (Elephant Mountain, Panther Mountain, Tiger Mountain and Lion Mountain) is a good way to break in your legs. Just north of the city, Yangmingshan National Park, with its 12 trails meandering over extinct volcanoes and fumaroles, is especially popular for day trips.

Moving southward to the Alishan area in central Taiwan, numerous trails covering dozens of kilometers lend themselves to easy day hikes amid some of the island’s finest scenery. Along the way are villages inhabited by indigenous people. Passing through the forests here, hikers will come upon ancient “sacred” trees, including the Lulin Sacred Tree, 2,800 years old and 43 meters high, with a circumference of 20 meters. The Alishan area is also renowned for its tea production, and a walk through a well-tended tea plantation on a mountain slope is sure to bring a sense of peace to any visitor.

More challenging routes—such as those leading up Xue Mountain and linking Hehuan Mountain with Taroko Gorge—can also be found in central Taiwan.

The pathways on Jade Mountain lead through stunning surroundings, taking around 40,000 hikers every year up the tallest peak in East Asia. As there is a limited amount of camping space on the mountain, the government only issues a certain number of permits per month to people wishing to make the climb.

Shopping

For people interested in shopping, winter is the season to pick up clothing and accessories, as department stores across the island hold their annual sales, which last two weeks or more. In Taipei, such stores are located in the fashionable areas around the Zhongxiao-Fuxing and Zhongxiao-Dunhua subway stops and in Xinyi District.